Application of polymers in optical technologies is expanding due to low cost manufacturing, improved quality, and small weight. Polymers bring new qualities and opportunities in optical devices such as mechanical flexibility. Liquid crystal polymers, LCPs, have made it possible to inexpensively transform conventional liquid crystal displays, LCDs, into three-dimensional displays by application of half-wave phase retardation films with patterned optical axis orientation. Azobenzene polymer films have been used as optically deformable membrane mirrors.
Polymer optical components such as lenses are often fabricated by molding, and need to be released from the mold used for shaping them. Certain optical components such as phase retardation films and polarizers do not require molding into a complex shape, however they still need to be fabricated on a variety of substrates for mechanical stability and need releasing from their support substrates for transfer onto the devices and components they are designed for. A typical LCD, for example, comprises both a phase retardation film, for viewing angle enhancement, and polarizers, for contrast. Fabrication of polymer optical components in the form of coatings directly on the substrate they are intended for may be prohibited by technological and cost limitations.
The manufacturer of a final product often lacks the expertise, capability, resources and commercial incentives for expanding their manufacturing processes to all component materials. Just like computer manufacturers use processors and displays developed and produced by other companies, the LCD manufacturers use phase-retardation films and polarizers produced by specialized suppliers. Apart from those considerations, many of the substrates for polymer optics, such as those used for flexible displays, are not compatible with the organic solvents and processes used for their fabrication thus also requiring separate film fabrication, release and transfer techniques.